For Congress, a less angry August | StarTribune.com

Walz's GOP opponent, state Rep. Randy Demmer, went after him at Farmfest, calling the cap-and-trade proposal an "energy tax." The attack provided one of the brightest sparks in an otherwise genial debate.

Peterson's Republican opponent, businessman Lee Byberg, also brought up the Democrats' climate-change bill. Peterson, chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, had a hand in crafting it.

Peterson and Walz portray the bill as an imperfect starting point for negotiations on a long-term energy bill. In any case, it appears dead, for now, in the Senate.